Some people eat to live and then there’s the rest of us, for whom living is eating (and drinking). Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee or cocktail time, we get our sustenance from the experience as much as the food or beverage. So while we’d never turn down a box of salted caramels or a bottle of bubbly, if you really want to give us a gift that will sate our hunger for culinary adventures, here are some bite-size ideas for you to chew on.
Tasting menus
There’s nothing tastier than putting yourself in the hands of a brilliant chef for an exquisitely crafted, multi-course meal. The tasting menus are Addison and Arama are the best around — and not so coincidentally, there’s a Michelin connection. Chef William Bradley’s Addison is San Diego’s first and only Michelin-starred restaurant. And the culinary team behind Arama, a six-seat, single-tabled restaurant-within-a-restaurant, are father-and-son Italian chefs Antonio and Luca Abbruzzino, of the Michelin-starred Abbruzzino, in Calabria. Be prepared to be wowed and pampered. Addison, 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Carmel Valley. $165 or $265 for five or 10 courses. (858) 314-1900. addisondelmar.com Arama, at Il Dandy, 2550 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. $180 to $250 for 13 courses, depending on party size. (619) 310-5669. Reservations here. ildandyrestaurant.com/arama
Urban farm tours and farm events
Explore the bounty that has made San Diego County the envy of locavores across America with a carefully curated group outing from Epicurean San Diego. You’ll be taken straight to the source — to urban farms, craft brewers, boutique coffee roasters, artisan bakers, vintners and sustainable restaurants — in North County, South Bay and central San Diego. Or spend the day at a farm with a personalized event for a longer taste of local goodness. Experiences run $125-$150 per person, with a six-person, $1,000 minimum for tours and events. (619) 289-9802. epicureansandiego.com
Global wine expeditions
Why does wine in wine country taste so much better than anywhere else? It’s the experience of being there. And for the wine lover on your holiday list, the experience of a wine tour with pros Gary and Lori Parker from San Diego’s WineSellar & Brasserie is a once-in-a-lifetime sensory sensation. The meticulously planned, private, small group tours have ventured to prestigious wine regions in , Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and, in 2019, Sicily. Next up for 2020 is ’s Rhône Valley, with Greece the likely destination for 2021. Boutique wineries and hotels, artisan food shops and local restaurants are always on the itinerary. Maybe that’s why 80 percent of their clientele are repeat customers. Tour prices vary; email Lori Parker for details, [email protected]. 9550 Waples St., Sorrento Valley. (858) 450-9557. winesellar.com/tastings/wine-tastings-tours
Cooking classes
Know home cooks who want to breeze through holiday entertaining and baking, sharpen their knife skills or tackle the French macaron? A gift card for a cooking class is an easy assignment. Whether hands-on or demonstration, a cooking class is fun and stress-free. Among the many local options are the laidback lessons at Hipcooks (which end with eating what’s been made), the technical wizardry from the skilled instructors at Sur La Table, or learning the secrets of a chef with Christopher Gentile of AVANT. Classes at Hipcooks are $75, with exceptions. 4048 30th St., North Park. hipcooks.com/sandiego/classes Sur La Table classes average $59-$79. Locations in Fashion Valley, La Jolla and The Forum Carlsbad. surlatable.com The next class at AVANT’s Table 65 demo kitchen ongoing series is the Art of Pasta Making, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. Cost is $69, including dinner; $35 for optional wine pairings. At the Rancho Bernardo Inn, 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo. Reservations at (858) 675-8551. ranchobernardoinn.com/dine/avant
Luxury Sonoma getaway
The sumptuously elegant Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma has created the ultimate package for the discerning wine and food traveler. The Sonoma Westside Tour features an exclusive one-night stay at the intimate boutique inn, personalized tastings and tours of marquee Russian River wineries Gary Farrell, Flowers and Rochioli, and a four-course Michelin-starred meal at the Restaurant at the Farmhouse. With the inn located just 11 minutes away from Charles M. Schultz Sonoma County Airport, it’s an easy getaway easy for San Diegans. If you love what you taste (and you will), Alaska Airlines offers non-stop flights and a free checked case of wine. Cost is $1,390, double occupancy; additional night available in Deluxe King rooms starting from $895. Book directly at (707) 887-3300. farmhouseinn.com
